page_title: Architecture of Aylesbury
section_title: County Hall (County Court)
hierarchical_section_title: Architecture of Aylesbury / 18th century architecture / County Hall (County Court)
caption_attribution_description: English: The County Court building in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
context_page_description: The architecture of Aylesbury, the county town of Buckinghamshire, reflects that which can be found in many small towns the length and breadth of England. The architecture contained in many of the country's great cities is well recorded and documented, as is that of the numerous great country houses. Frequently the work is by one of England's more notable architects – Christopher Wren, John Vanbrugh, Robert Adam, William Kent or even Quinlan Terry. What is less well known is the local almost vernacular architecture in the market towns, often inspired by the work of the great master architects or the general architectural style popular at the time. England had a middle class long before many other European countries, these bourgeois merchants would often return from a visit to one of the cities, or having seen a glimpse of one of the great country houses then require a replica of what they had seen. A local architect would then be employed to recreate it, within limited financial restraints. Sometimes the patron would merely draw an image of what he required and a builder would then interpret the requirements to the best of his often limited ability.
context_section_description: Aylesbury has many public buildings which reflect its position as the county town of Buckinghamshire, a position it has held since the 16th century, when King Henry VIII transferred the status from Buckingham.  Legend states it was a move to impress Anne Boleyn's father, who held the manor at the time, but this is probably apocryphal.  A county town is the seat of Buckinghamshire County Council, a body responsible for the minor day to day running of an English county.  It was also the home of the local assizes today known as the Crown Court.  Thus the town has always had a structure known as County Hall: today the building known by that name houses merely the offices of the County Council.  In previous centuries it housed not only the administrative offices of the county, but also the county court chamber, where crimes such as murder, treason and those felonies too serious for a small town magistrate's court were tried. In addition the County Hall often had an assembly room where entertainments and balls would take place for the more worthy members of the county and their families.  Thus in the 18th century County Hall was a reflection of county prestige.
  In the early 18th century the elders of Aylesbury decided to build a grand and magnificent new County Hall.  Plans were submitted by two architects a Mr. Brandon and a Thomas Harris.  The successful plan was to be selected by no lesser architect than John Vanbrugh.  Thus for a fraction of the price of employing him, Aylesbury had the great man forever associated with the design of its County Hall.  In truth if the provincial architect Harris intended to flatter Vanbrugh he failed miserably, the plan Vanbrugh selected was more in the style of his predecessor and rival Sir Christopher Wren.  But no matter to the Elders of Aylesbury, they had a fine building associated with a national figure, that the building was by the time of its completion over 50 years out of date was probably not even recognised by its patrons.
  The building was finally completed in 1740, despite its lack of illustrious architect it is a handsome red brick building of seven bays and two stories.  The windows are round topped on the lower floor and pedimented on the upper.  The three central bays are unified under a pediment. The whole style is of the building is Palladian with some baroque influences.  One feature on the principal facade shows the buildings provincial pedigree, Vanbrugh or Wren would have left the facade undecorated, or the windows interspersed by pilasters, here in rural Aylesbury the architect chose to place a humble drainpipe symmetrically between the windows, in London plumbing was discrete or hidden.  The interior contained a panelled court room, and a council chamber.
  Almost from the moment of the building's completion, the 18th century County Hall was not large enough. As local government became more complex and bureaucratic more office space was required and so Judges's lodgings were constructed in 1849-50 on the back of County Hall. Following the Local Government Act of 1888 the newly established Buckinghamshire County Council based itself here, thus further council rooms, including a Mayor's parlour, were added too.
caption: In the shadow of its Brutalist replacement, the former County Hall Aylesbury. John Vanbrugh received the credit, the true architect Thomas Harris was forgotten.  This building now houses the Crown Court.
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